Helsingin dokumenttielokuvafestivaali

17th DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival gathered over 30 000 visitors. The most watched film was Rodeo – Taming a Wild Country. The festival ended on Sunday 4th February.

The festival audience was once again excited about documentary films and the festival gathered more than 30 000 visitors in 2018. In total of 118 films were screened in 253 screenings and there were several discussion, seminars and clubs.

The film that gathered most of the audience during the festival week was a Finnish-Estonian co-production film Rodeo – Taming a Wild Country by Kiur Aarma and Raimo Jõerand which was also an opening film of the festival. The opening screening was also an opening for Estonia 100 years celebration in Finland. The festival was honored to have the former prime minister of Estonia and a main character, Mart Laar, as a guest at the opening screening.

Other popular films of the festival were SILVANA, which tells about the Swedish rapper and feminist icon Silvana Imam, Jane about the chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall and The Final Year which tells about the final presidential year of Barack Obama. Amongst the Finnish Premieres most of the audience gathered the following films: Eastern Memories by Martti Kaartinen and Niklas Kullström, No Road Home by Markku Heikkinen and The Fifth Sun by Cristiana Pecci and Matteo Maggi.

No Road Home by Markku Heikkinen won the audience award and it also gained the Critic’s Choice mention. Dream of a Championship by Sophia Ehrnrooth got the special mention from the critic Carmen Gray. Gray writes about films to The Guardian and Sight & Sound magazines.

The 18th edition of the festival will be organized on 28th January – 3rd February 2019.